Littlehampton parent calls for private car park to be reopened to end parking ‘chaos’

A section of St Martins car park is being used as a compound for Arun District Council’s multi-million pound improvement works project.

Parents of children at River Beach Primary School fear the move will make drivers impatient and will ‘end in an accident’.

Claire Smith said: “It is really restricting about a quarter of the parking that there used to be in Littlehampton. They’ve already got the test centre for one of them.

“The first day [January 10), school pick-up was complete chaos. There were people everywhere and cars driving round and round trying to find a space.

“The works are not a short term thing. It could be a year before they get it all finished.

“Whilst I support anything that makes Littlehampton more appealing, the fact they are taking up another car park just seems insane.”

Claire said the parking system in Littlehampton has got ‘worse and worse’, and called for the privately-owned Waitrose car park to be reopened to the public.

Claire also fears that the lack of parking could affect local, independent businesses.

“Usually I will go into the smaller shops [nearby] but now, because there’s nowhere to park, I have to go a different way and shop somewhere else," she said. "I have to go into Rustington and use larger supermarkets.

"A lot of thought and planning has been put into improving the town, which is great for the people that come but what about the people that live here?"

However, Andrew Sleeman, from Spokes Cycles in Beach Road, called for more positivity in the community.

“People will see improvement and investment in the town,” he said. “Having to use the car park is not the best solution but I don’t know what is. They are doing the best job they can.

Having seen the pictures, it is going to be really nice.

“It will lift the town into something brighter, which in turn will hopefully interest people to invest in the town.”

The district council apologised for any disruption caused.

A spokesperson added: “We needed to use a section of St Martins car park as a compound for our contractors as it is the only council-owned car park close enough to the site. The coronavirus (COVID-19) test centre in the car park is still needed at the current time.

"The former Waitrose car park is privately owned but alternative parking is available at nearby Anchor Springs, Manor House and Surrey Street.”

The council said disruption to businesses will be ‘minimal’ throughout the construction work and all owners are being kept ‘fully up to date with progress’.

“They are all open so we would encourage shoppers to visit the town as normal,” the council spokesperson added.

"The work being carried out is aimed at improving the look and feel of Littlehampton town centre in order to boost the town - and hopefully attract more businesses and increase visitor numbers.

"The plans include alterations to the road layout which will create better traffic flow and include more space dedicated to pedestrians, as well as three new crossings on Beach Road to make it an easier place to navigate on foot.

"We are confident that when the work is finished, the improved look and feel of the town centre will benefit everyone who visits."

Councillor takes action

Arun district and Littlehampton town councillor Billy Blanchard-Cooper has also responded to residents' concerns over parking.

He wrote on Facebook: "I have heard you loud and clear about the parking issues within the town centre at the moment due to part of St Martins being used for the Covid centre and part of it being now used for the public realm improvements.

"I have contacted officers at ADC to ask if we can try and get access to the old Waitrose car park. I have also requested that better signage be made and installed particularly at St Martins car park to direct people to where additional parking is available, such as by the Look and Sea Centre,

"I have heard back that officers are making contact with the site owners, however the Waitrose site is unlikely (but that is not to say it's a no). They are going to have banners produced to highlight other parking options (I have asked for time scales)."

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